Barnacle Passage, page 24
"He's coming out of it," said DualE. "Help with the side panel."
They unlatched one side of the coffin so Aswan could roll upright, with their aid.
The captain suddenly moved on his own, dropping to the deck. He retched up a fistful of fluid, then rose to his feet, steadying himself on the coffin's toe. "I know you," he said, placing a drenched hand on Carver's shoulder. "The prospector. Why are you in my ship?" His attention swung to DualE. "Another barnacle." He stared around the chamber, checking the coffins. He stopped at the one with dead status lights. "Heffeis?" He dragged Carver closer to Ellick's final rest. "That's not my astrogator."
"Part of a longer story, Captain. Can you make it to the bridge with us?" Carver could feel the man's strength returning rapidly through his grip.
"Where are we?"
"Again, Captain, better explained on the bridge."
"My crew?"
"We won't need them," DualE answered. "Suffice to say, cryo rejuve has had some problems. You could be risking their lives by bringing them out. We're lucky you revived without a glitch."
"Your passenger Tokal," said Carver, "didn't make it out of his cryo and we were afraid these too were compromised."
"You'd better enlighten me."
"On the bridge." Carver judged Aswan would feel more in command there.
"All right."
Two hours later, Aswan had the story. Except for the minor point of Pollux's salvage.
"I am amazed you got us to Bohr."
"The credit for the last jump goes to Brother Cardinal," said Carver. It was a throwaway response but Carver realized as he heard his words that Cardinal and Pious's secular actions had saved them all. What power did their faith hold?
"No more alleged pursuers?"
"Alleged?" said DualE. "Do a damage survey before you call us liars."
"Did you wish to view Tokal's body?" Carver needed to divert DualE before she responded with more than words.
"No. I didn't like the man. I took him aboard because he overpaid." Aswan kept checking their course.
"What about Heffeis?" asked Carver. "You want to see him?"
"Yes," he sighed. "Not immediately but before we dock. He was an adequate astrogator but a poor officer and worse human being. But he was under my command and I have a duty."
"Hailing Pollux, everything okay with your deep-sleepers?"
"This is Captain Aswan. One successful rejuve. Pollux will remain on auto-pilot until final docking under my hand. I'll comm cargo details ahead so my shippers are prepared to offload."
"Whatever you think, Captain. Let us know if there's anything else we can provide besides escort and watching your ass. Out."
Aswan turned from the comm post, unintimidated by DualE and Carver.
Here it comes, Carver thought. The issue we've avoided.
"Tell me," said Aswan. "Who has registered the claim?"
Carver exchanged glances with DualE and then answered. "All the surviving barnacles."
"We were entitled, Captain," said DualE. "Don't blame us, blame Pollux and her damned cryo bugs."
Carver tensed, the captain was too at ease. He remembered how smoothly he'd come out of cryo compared to his disorienting revivals.
"You followed the rules. I suppose I should be grateful you sacrificed Heffeis instead of me."
"We didn't sacrifice him," said Carver. "His own demons killed him."
"With a barnacle's help."
"Maybe." Carver could fall on either side of the guilt by association or innocent by total ignorance argument. "Regardless, we've logged our claim, it's up to the authorities to decide its legitimacy. Believe me, Captain, I'll be anxious to get it settled as soon as possible, no matter the outcome."
Aswan leaned over the command chair, arms trembling. "Pollux has likely made its final jump. In my opinion, it's not worth a refit but someone will try. I only pray I won't have to pilot it. A captain needs a ship, however and it might be the only post I can obtain, given the circumstances of this journey. I would appreciate you leaving me to my bridge."
The captain opened comm with the escort ship. "This is Captain Aswan. I have assumed Pollux's command."
"Acknowledged. We have instructions from Admiralty for you."
"Pollux is a commercial jumpfreighter but go ahead."
"Passenger Carver Denz is not to leave your custody before docking. His actions are under formal investigation."
Aswan faced Carver. "Passenger Denz has already boarded his ship. I'll pass on your message."
Investigation? What the hell? In shock, Carver managed to nod his thanks to the captain. They'd saved Aswan and his ship but for what consequence? A ruined career and a decrepit jumpfreighter. Apparently, the captain didn't like the military any more than Carver. He turned to DualE. "Barnacle?"
"Barnacle."
THE Busted and Rusted provided little mental solace for Carver. Spook-space had awakened the trail of her previous masters. When Carver slept, which seemed to be most of the time, the haunts of failed and dead prospectors tormented him.
"Carver, time for our daily chat." DualE's voice announced over his comm.
"Thanks for checking in."
"Demons still haunting you?"
"I don't know how you stand the solitude," he said. "I'd imagine you're not often alone in the military."
"I've adapted. Found out I could wage battle on my own, no offense. And I'm discovering a new part of my personality. The solo act submerged for many years."
"You sound refreshed. Think this new DualE will last?" He couldn't wait to escape into the company of people. One in particular. He woke from every sleep hoping for a message from Helena. But Admiral Rowland had put them into radio quarantine until they reached Hub Gamma.
"It will last. Whether it will ascend to number one, I don't know. Once I'm back in harness, old mindsets will be tough to override. What about you? Discovering truths you didn't suspect hid within you?"
"Fear kills. Freezes instinct." He looked at the inside of this precarious shell. "When I came out of deep-sleep, my first reaction should've been to crawl back in. I discovered if I kept moving and acting, I could suppress fears that were there to protect me."
"For a civilian, I'd say you hid it well. Hell, I've served with career soldiers who'd have tried to crawl away. You impressed me, Carver."
She sounded sincere but that was her job, convince those beside you they were doing all right. No need to retreat, we can beat these bastards. Lock, load and over the hill. "Thanks. I'll give my psyche a break and try not to end up in a similar situation again. Ever."
"I can't picture you huddling in the dark of the Busted and Rusted forever. Or some other cocoon."
"I won't be. Wherever Helena and I choose to settle, it won't be a cocoon, just out of any line-of-fire." Feet on grass and sand. Floating on an ocean. Not having to wear a disgusting spacesuit half the time. Being prepared to don it on a moment's notice the rest of the time.
"Talk to me again after your first year or two."
Carver peered through his forward porthole. "I can see more human light. Close enough to resolve individual structures if I tried. Makes Argosy Station look tiny in comparison." The duality theme persisted. Small in size and population, critical beyond its size in influence and importance. Would Bohr destroy it? Start the migration outward over?
"We'll be there in two days. Ahoy, Penance. Talking to us yet? Do our philosophies entertain you?"
"No use," said Carver. "The brothers aren't listening. Our partnership must've been too painful." Pious and the others had remained cloistered silent within their ship. What part of their alliance held after docking, Carver couldn't guess.
"Pain and trial allow us to discover ourselves, Carver."
"You read that from some navy tattoo."
"An attitude, not a platitude."
"Read another platitude. I think you've cheered me up enough for today, DualE. See you on the other side of sleep."
"Don't give up, Carver. Struggle makes you stronger. Another few ordeals and you could be a brother to match philosophy and strength-through-adversity with any of the brothers."
"Quit trying to change me." Carver laughed. "I'll get that tattooed on forehead."
"I told you I could live with two contrary sides; you don't have to choose one of yours to live within. Too restrictive. Over and out."
Yeah, but I'm unsure which one I like the best.
Chapter 40
Kondradt scanned the flimsies, growing more agitated by the minute. He took a deep breath to calm his reaction but it didn't take. "With all due respect, Chancellor, we can't offer many of these concessions, nor do we have to."
Mekli stared at him, rheumy eyes ill disguising the internal fatigue. "Two naval dreadnoughts are parked within the Eddy."
"Your armada outnumbers them." Mekli's passage through spook-space from Schoenfeld Eddy to the Confluence must have been filled with demons of his own making. Thank goodness Kondradt was here to provide input to the negotiations.
"They outgun us. Our kamikaze strategy won't succeed against their defenses."
"You didn't need to admit the suicide attacks on Pollux had anything to do with us." A concession Kondradt had been too late to stop. The proposed deal he held in his hand contained the seeds of a worse conflict in a generation or two. He couldn't let it happen.
"Rowland claimed to have proof of origin. I admitted we took our chance and failed. He accepted our motivation in wanting to limit the amount of Schoenfeldium entering the market. Denz's information never came up."
Kondradt fought for control "Then how do you explain the rapid deployment of their ships so near the armada?"
Mekli cleared his throat. The phlegmy rasp reinforced Kondradt's opinion the Chancellor was in poor shape. Not a man to entrust final negotiations for the frontier's future. "The confluence has many spies across the Realm. Wouldn't surprise me if the intelligence came from your station. Or Slate's Progress. Your communications weren't secure enough."
Communications which you initiated without regard to security. "What's done about the attack on Pollux is done. We can't change our story." Kondradt slapped the flimsies to the desk. "We can alter this. Let them come to us with their proposal." He looked around the table at Mekli's advisors. Most of them looked in worse shape than the Chancellor. "Bohr isn't going to destroy the Realm's resources or people. It would build up further resentment." He stretched his arms in front of him. "Give me a day to work up a better deal I think they'll accept. One in which we maintain some independence in government and economics, and they pull their ships out. We have our own navy, perhaps outgunned but there are other uses. Uses we can charter to the Confluence." He returned his focus to Mekli. "One day, give me one day."
The others in the room shifted in their seats, avoiding Kondradt's eyes by staring down in front of them or at Mekli. "You don't have a day. You will meet with their team this evening."
"I can try to have a proposal by then." Kondradt began drafting plans in his head.
"No need." Mekli straightened his notes. "I've forwarded this proposal to their team. Up to you to finalize it. I fear my input for the next round would be impaired. Jump-space is catching up to me. I'll await your report in the morning, Kondradt." Mekli stood, swayed and took the arm of an aide to exit the room. The others remained in their seats.
"Can anyone explain what the hell just happened? How could you allow this document to be given to the Confluence?"
The silence roared in Kondradt's ears. After a few minutes one of the team spoke. "We must not fracture now. A united front is the best going forward. Perhaps we should have involved you earlier, but your transport from Argosy Station arrived after we did. There wasn't time."
Thus, the revolution disintegrates, he thought. There wasn't enough backbone in the room to build one spine, let alone a future leader of an independent Argosy Realm. Give me a handful of Carver Denz's, Kondradt wished. The spy would make a good pioneer. He fought to oppose Kondradt but he didn't waver.
"Do one thing for me, all of you." He tapped the proposal Mekli had been so foolish to release. "I'm going to tear this in two to open negotiations tonight. When I speak, do not contradict me, do not mention the Chancellor's name, do not give away your emotions. Do not do or say anything to jeopardize our new position." He stood and pointed to each man and woman in turn until he got a nod from every one.
"Good. It's a start. Remember this day to your children. If we succeed, you can brag about how you were instrumental in building a new sovereign confluence." They'd take the credit all right, if his strategy worked. His leverage was small but Kondradt had faith annihilation was the last thing Bohr wanted. If it had been, the dreadnoughts would have appeared long before Denz was sent out. At least the man's luck had precipitated action. Kondradt's suspicion about Mekli and the others was confirmed. He'd drag them in his wake and let them bask in the result while he got back to the business of creating an economic juggernaut.
I wonder if Denz would change sides if he thought there was only one side going forward?
Chapter 41
"I guess I should be grateful to be released," said Carver.
"You weren't under arrest. Protective custody more like." Admiral Rowland looked as tired as Carver felt.
"Protection? From who?" Zofie? Remote chance.
"Me. My political masters. Aswan's crew. The list isn't short, Denz."
This was the first time since Pollux docked that Carver'd been out of a small holding cell. Three days of no communication from the Admiralty, aside from requests to complete his report. Some reward for him doing their job, he thought.
Rowland tapped the desk, shuffling foil sheets. At last he made eye contact. "You were supposed to imitate a prospector, not become one." Anger replaced weariness. His jacket hung behind him, his tie draped around his neck and the shirt sweat-stained.
"It was pure accident. Once made, I judged it to be a better disguise to actually have struck a claim. A reason to be where you sent me."
"The flood of Schoenfeldium to the market has generated no small panic in the Eddy. More dreamers on their way. They can't hide their preparations any longer, your discovery could push the Eddy to act. Means war, Denz."
A phrase from the escorting guard struck sense to Carver. "I heard they've sent representatives."
"To distract and delay us." Rowland picked up a flimsy and slid it to Carver. "The salvage claim has the Freight Guild on my case, claiming my agent destroyed Sympat with a booby-trapped barnacle, the Eagle, and sabotaged Pollux's jump-drive and cryo systems."
Carver's anger boiled up. "I must be one hell of a doomsday machine to accomplish all of that. It's all bullshit and you know it. Pollux's explanation is in my report. The Eddy destroyed Sympat, lay it on their doorstep next time you meet."
"I can't give them your report without compromising our remaining agents in the Realm and the Eddy."
Carver slumped in his chair. "What do you want from me?"
"A report more palatable for all parties than this." He pushed a half-dozen flimsies off the desk into the trash.
"I'm not giving you a confession. DualE's report jives with mine."
"Suit yourself. Your company's charter is suspended."
Hollow threat. "I planned to shut down anyway." Let him chew on that.
"Your salvage claim may be held up..."
Carver's anger returned. "No, it won't. Neither you nor the guild will risk the fury of the brothers' church. I'll stick with them. You need a scapegoat? You've got three corpses fitted for the task, two of them under orders from Gar Kondradt."
"Kondradt." Rowland's hand slapped the desk. "He's the only one in their delegation I trust. He tells you what he wants straight up." He knuckled his eyes. "Okay, Denz." Rowland retrieved the flimsies and put them on his desk. He picked up a stylus and began initialing each sheet. "Go away but don't leave this station. We're done for now."
Carver rose to his feet. Helena and retirement looked better than ever.
CARVER SLUICED THE whisky around and around in the tumbler, hoping to infuse it with something other than its unnatural flavor.
Hub Gamma and this bar teemed with military personnel looking grim, itching for a battle, and civil servants pretending their work was most important of all. The station was alive, a welcome contrast to the haunted Pollux, deteriorating by the minute while Carver's actions brewed consequences for the freighter, her master and crew.
He contemplated the liquid and his first days aboard the station. His sham detention and Rowland's debriefing were on hold. The endless Freight Guild red tape continued. Salvage claims, even with the Admiral's office running interference, were a game between the underwriters and the merchanters. Civil courts tried to lever themselves into the criminal activities but the guild, church and military cooperated to shut them out.
The deaths of Jonn tokal and Pey Heffeis were linked and closed, with no criminal charges laid due to lack of 'hard' evidence. Conspiracy involving the Realm was ignored. Ellick's death was deemed 'accidental overdose of Lozinal'. Zofie's attack on Carver dismissed as grief over the death of her partner and Carver making unseemly advances toward her. He decided justice was an ugly two-sided coin with the only winners in a toss for winner-take-all were the lawyers. And high-ranking officials seeking an expedient and quiet conclusion.
Carver scratched the many day's growth on his face. He would shave before Helena arrived. The bar might be on a naval and commercial hybrid of a way-station but the whisky was as bad as any in the Realm. He poured another glass and observed the white and navy-blue uniform approach.
"I heard Zofie borrowed against her salvage claim and has taken up Ellick's crusade." DualE looked the business in her starched livery and cap.
Carver signaled another glass from the servo-waiter. "Do you want to hire on as my permanent bodyguard? I can't be certain if or when she'll take another fit and try to finish the job."
